Eras ended for both these counties on Wednesday and they were marked in very different ways. A weakened Somerset line-up followed the decision of their former captain Brian Rose to step down as director of cricket with a batting performance of such pusillanimity that few would give tuppence for their chances of extending this match into a fourth day, let alone winning it.

Even allowing for the absence of Nick Compton, Craig Kieswetter and Jos Buttler, to collapse from 68 for one to 134 all out was a miserable effort. Altogether more edifying were the sight and sound of Murray Goodwin being applauded to the wicket to play his 325th and almost certainly final first-class innings for Sussex.

Certainly it was his last at Hove – in the highly unlikely event of the County Championship not being won by Warwickshire this week, he may play in Sussex's final game at Durham – and the 39-year-old Zimbabwean finally found something of the form which, until this season, he produced for his adoptive county pretty much without fail.

Coming in at 47 for two, but with Chris Nash well-established at the other end, Goodwin got off the mark with a trademark cut to the third-man fence. Four of his first five scoring shots were boundaries and all were hit with the economical power that characterises true excellence. Thereafter he settled for steady accumulation, allowing Nash to take centre stage in going to his third first-class century of the campaign and to approach 1,000 runs for the season in the process.

There are many in Sussex who believe that, were Nash playing for a more fashionable county, he would be talked about as a possible opening bat replacement for Andrew Strauss, at least in a "keeping the seat warm for Joe Root" sort of way. They might have a point.

His record stands comparison with those of Michael Carberry and Varun Chopra and he deserves to come into the discussion when the England selectors meet to finalise the touring party to India next week. Nash reached his century with a handsome on-drive off Peter Trego, after being on 99 for nine balls and ignoring Somerset's half-hearted attempts to unsettle him with a series of bouncers and spurious lbw appeals.

His century included 17 boundaries and was followed in short order by Goodwin's half-century. While it was only his second of the season, it could not have been better timed. Goodwin remains keen to play at least one more season in county cricket and should not be short of suitors. Surrey, where his old captain Chris Adams is in charge, is a strong possibility.

"I don't think many people have got 1,000 runs this season and it would be one of my better achievements as a batter," said the 29-year-old Nash, after closing on 106 not out. "When it comes to England, it's always a dream when you set out but there are a lot of very good players in county cricket. All I can do is score runs and try and put my name in the hat."

The Sussex head coach, Mark Robinson, confirmed he sees Nash as an underrated cricketer. "I'm not sure they'll consider him – arguably he hasn't quite scored the consistent weight of runs. But when he plays with the tempo he did today, mixing attack and defence, he's a fine player – and he's also got 20 wickets with his off-spin."